


Misconstrue

by Nyaanpantsu



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Caretaking, Chapter 13 Rescuing Aerith, Cloud Strife Whump, Clumsy Cloud Strife, Family Feels, Gen, Humor, Injured Cloud Strife, No Cleansing Materia, No Healing Materia, One-Shot, Poisoning, Protective Barret Wallace, Protective Tifa Lockhart, Ringmaw Attack, Soft Barret Wallace, Unprepared Battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27571021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyaanpantsu/pseuds/Nyaanpantsu
Summary: Cloud, Barret, and Tifa go through collapsed expressway to go underground passage to Sector 7 to save Aerith, but forget to carry the most important thing to bring with them.
Relationships: Cloud Strife & Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife & Barret Wallace
Comments: 3
Kudos: 90





	Misconstrue

The sound of Tifa’s battlecry and Barret’s ammo shells echoes across the walls of the broken expressway. The two unleash a flurry of attacks behind the rubble, leaving Cloud alone on the other side to defend for himself. He whips his sword at the venomous insects, the Ringmaws screeching in response when his Buster Sword makes contact at its hardened flesh. _It’s an easy win._ Cloud feels it when he hears Barret’s victory fanfare on the other side. 

Another crack splits the air as Cloud aims for the head, its tough hide flings away and its body goes limp. He counts each strike—one, two, three…

"Oh shit!" Barret exclaims.

“Cloud, look out!” Tifa cries.

He turns where he finds another Ringmaw hurling itself at him, its deadly claws clamping onto his body in an iron grip. Cloud topples over in a yelp and feels its claws penetrating through his skin, injecting its poisonous fangs into his blood. Pain blossoms everywhere and all he feels sees is white. He hears Barret’s footsteps pounding in the distance, followed by Tifa. A burbled scream rips out of Cloud's throat as the Ringmaw continues to crush him. He feels his head spin. The ceiling was too bright to keep his mako blue eyes open.

“Hang in there, smartass!” Barret shouts.

A blast sears the air. It pops the Ringmaw right off of Cloud disintegrates the insect into green flicks of light. Cloud feels his head pulsing as he tries to push himself off the ground. His vision blurs. There’s voices, hands, and the scent of gunpowder. He shoves down the humiliation burning on his cheeks and recollects himself. 

“--oud! Cloud! Are you alright?” Tifa asks.

“Goddamn, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” Barret says. “Hell, I think I just lost 10 years of my life when I saw you go down like that!”

“I’m fine,” Cloud replies.

But he’s not. He feels like the world is still spinning. Cloud grits his teeth and ignores the pain. He’s endured far worse than this. Simple poisoning should subside in a few seconds. He just needed to wait. So he slowly emerges from the ground and uses the Buster Sword as support. He saunters down the expressway and pauses when he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ve already been here,” Tifa says to him.

“We ain’t no got time to backtrack now,” Barret calls out. “Can’t keep Aerith waitin’ any longer, she needs us.”

“Right,” Cloud says, steadily. 

He curls his fingers into a fists and hurries in the opposing direction. As they travel onward, Cloud feels his head sinking further and further into oblivion. He clenches his jaw at the dull ache in his head and tries to ignore it. But each step leaves him dizzy. He hangs behind Barret and Tifa, letting them bulldoze a path until they encounter several bandits. 

Cloud draws his sword and readies it. He sees the giant bandit charge at him, his face a blurred smudge as Cloud raises his sword to block the attack. His sword vibrates in his hands. Ears ringing at the awful scrape of metal against metal. The world spinning as Cloud jumps back and almost falls. He risks a glance at Barrett and Tifa, they were already finished, and the look on Tifa’s face...

“Cloud! To your right!” Tifa shouts.

He turns back to the giant bandit and sees a knife go straight for his abdomen. Pain blossoms there and the next thing he registers is the sickening slap of flesh against flesh. The Buster Sword clatters to the ground and knees buckles upon impact. His stomach blossoms in pain and Cloud cries out in agony. The ache in his head explodes as Cloud stares up at the red ceiling above him. He hears a whirlwind of gunfire blasting in the distance and the broken cries of the bandit. 

Cloud rolls to his side and winces at the sharp sting from his stomach. He looks down at the wound and sees blood pooling there. 

“Shit,” he curses, then wraps a hand over the wound to help stop the bleeding. It doesn’t when he pushes himself up to lean his back against the wall. He feels his headache growing heavier, his eyelids failing to stay focused as he hears heavy footsteps approaching him.

He looks up and sees a brown blur.

“Hey! What in Shiva’s name happened to you?” Barret asks. “I thought you SOLDIERS said you don’t go down that easily. You damn gave me two heart attacks in a row, ya dumbass!"

“I’m fine,” Cloud starts, he places a hand on the wall to get up. “I can still keep going.”

“Bullshit! You don’t look so fine to me!” Barret exclaims.

“I let my guard down, end of story.” Cloud states, he immediately falls on the ground and hisses out in pain. His gloved hand completely red.

“Yep. I ain’t buying your shit,” Barret says as he reaches for Cloud’s arm. “I saw how you were hanging back earlier. Don’t think I didn’t notice something was off about you,” Barret retorts.

Cloud slaps his hand away. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

“Look man, I’ve already lost enough people for one day. Tifa asked me to help so I’m going to help you like it or not!” Barret shouts. He roughly grabs a hold on Cloud’s arm and throws him over his shoulder. Cloud feels the corners of his eyes sting at the searing pain aggravating his wound. "Shit, I'm sorry kid," Barret comments. Cloud clenches his jaw and allows Barret to carry him out the expressway. He helps Cloud lie against the nearest wall and kneels there to inspect his wound.

“Is he alright?” Tifa asks. 

“He sure as hell ain’t,” Barret says. “He looked so green I thought he turned into a tree.”

“What do you think happened?” Tifa questions.

“Poisoning,” Cloud mutters. 

“Poisoning?” Barrett and Tifa echoes in unison. 

“Ringmaw managed to inject some of its venom in me,” Cloud huffs. “I figured the effects would subside, but I guessed wrong.”

“What? They were poisonous?!” Tifa exclaims, bringing a hand to her lips.

“You certainly played yourself good,” Barret replies.

Cloud delivers a glare at Barret. 

“We don’t have any remedies on us,” Tifa says. “Or healing materia. And that wound looks bad if we don’t do something quick.”

“He’ll live,” Barret says. “Kid’s got a history of surviving through sharp objects.”

Tifa turns away from Cloud and looks around. She gasps. “I see a vendor selling potions! I’ll go buy some remedies and supplies! Barret you’ll stay here and look after Cloud.”

“Sounds good to me,” Barret says. “Not like we can go anywhere in this dead end state.”

As soon as Tifa leaves to buy supplies, Cloud slowly closes his eyes. 

“Hey now, don’t you sleep on me,” Barrett says, gently shaking his shoulder. “You ain’t taking a dirt nap. Aerith needs us, remember?”

“I know,” Cloud sighs.

“You really had me there when you fell like that,” Barret says. “You can’t hide this shit from us, you nearly got yourself killed!”

“I’m still breathing,” Cloud says. 

“Guess Lady Luck has her ways,” Barret says. “But next time you might not be so lucky.”

Cloud hums in response.

“I meant it,” Barret says. “When I saw you fall back there I nearly thought we lost you. You, Jessie, and Biggs, on a day like this?” Barret asks. “I can’t even—I don't— 

There’s a tremble in his voice.

Cloud finally opens his eyes. He studies the brown hazy blur and reaches out to place his gloved hand on Barrett’s broad shoulder. 

“I’m not leaving anytime soon without my paycheck,” Cloud says. “I asked for a raise. So don't you forget that.”

There’s a brief pause and Barret breaks out into laughter. 

“Yeah, yeah! I hear ya,” Barret says. “2,000 Gil right?”

“Make it 6,000,” Cloud says, leaning back.

“Wha—I ain’t got that cash on me!” Barett exclaims. “How about I give you 4,000? Monkey in the middle.”

Cloud sighs with a faint grin. “Glad we’re finally on the same page.”

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write some soft Barret and Tifa helping our lil bud Cloud out ahaha ;;;


End file.
